Folding top having bow connecting means



y 24, 1966, s, E. BRYNN ETAL 3,252,731

FOLDING TOP HAVING BOW CONNECTING MEANS Filed Sept. '28, 1964 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTORS 'em/a 6. zyzr & e v I BY Ber/Fm Cflmzz zdM May 24, 1966 e. E. BRYNN ETAL 3,252,731

FOLDING TOP HAVING BOW CONNECTING MEANS Filed Sept. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Gem/0 (S 323 2724 & BY Berzizw 6996/72 United States Patent 3,252,731 FOLDING TOP HAVING BOW CONNECTING MEANS Gerald E. Brynn, Farmington, and Bertram C. Danz,

Roseville, MiclL, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,511 Claims. (Cl. 226-117) This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to folding top structures for vehicle bodies.

The use of thin rigid glass for the back window closures of modern vehicle body folding top structures, although desirable in many respects, has in the past been met with a quite severe limitation on the size to which such closures may be styled. Since these glass closures do not fiex with the fabric cover of the folding top, they have of necessity been designed to a size much smaller than stylists would desire, in part, to permit the acceptance thereof within the limited space available in the folding top well, but most notably, to provide large lengths of fabric panel intermediate the closure and the rear bow, and intermediate the closure and the deck structure of the body so that the sweep of the rear bow during movement of the folding top between raised and lowered positions is in no way restricted by the inflexibility of the glass. The extent to which the permissible size of the closure may be increased in a conventional folding top by simply correspondingly decreasing the geometry of the rear bow has, of course,

been narrowly circumscribed by the effect such an alteration would have on the operation and overall appearance of the folding tops.

The folding top of this invention answers to the difliculties heretofore encountered in directly incorporating a rigid glass closure of any substantial size in a folding top without impairing the appearance or operation thereof. This is accomplished by providing a rear bow arrangement which is collapsible relative to the folding top frame during movement thereof from raised to lowered position in such a manner as to reduce its sweep and further in such a manner as to undergo a multiplied or more extensive path of retraction to a lowered position located more forwardly of the body than is conventional, thereby "to obviate the need for large lengths of fabric panel in order to avoid binding or restriction during folding top movement.

One object of this invention is to provide a new and improved folding top structure. Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved folding top structure movable between raised and lowered positions in such a manner as to permit the direct incorporation intothe fabric cover thereof of a rigid glass back window closure member of maximum size. A further object of this invention is to provide such a folding top structure wherein the rear bow is collapsible relative to the folding top frame in a manner to have a reduced sweep and to undergo a multiplied path of retraction to the lowered position thereof, thereby to permit the direct incorporation into the fabric cover of a rigid glass closure of maximum size.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary partially broken away view of a convertible vehicle body including a folding top structure according to this invention and showing the folding top in raised position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the top in lowered position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE l.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown the rear quarter area of a convertible vehicle body designated generally as 10, the body including a rear quarter portion 12, an opposite rear quarter portion 14 and a deck 16. A folding top structure 18 according to this invention is mounted on body 10 in a manner presently to be described for movement between a raised position, as shown in FIGURE 1, and a lowered position, shown in FIGURE 2.

In the form of the invention shown, folding top 18 is generally of the spaced foldable side rail frame and multiple transverse bow type. The frame 20 thereof includes a rear side rail portion 22 pivotally mounted on a generally U-shaped bracket 24 which is secured by one leg thereof to adjacent structure of rear quarter 12 by bolts 26. A like rear rail is similarly mounted on body 10 adjacent quarter 14, and as this description proceeds, it will be understood that all reference to the illustrated rear rail and associated parts of frame 20 peculiar to the quarter 12 side of body 10 imply like structure adjacent quarter 14. Folding top 18 further includes an intermediate bow 28 movably mounted transversely across body 10 on the spaced rails of frame 20, and a rear bow assembly 30 similarly associated with the spaced rails. The remainder of the folding top '18 which conventionally includes forward rail structure foldable relative to the rear rails 20, additional transverse bows, and a header adapted to be secured to the windshield of body 10, is not shown nor described as it is not pertinent to an understanding of this invention.

Referring to FIGURE 3, rear rail 22 is provided with a bifurcated end portion 32 for embracing a leg 34 of bracket 24 and for receiving therethrough and through the leg 34 a bolt 36 which provides the pivot axis for rear rail 22. The rear rail includes a further bifurcated end portion 38 which receives and has secured thereto by bolt 46) the terminal end of the piston shaft 42 of a double acting hydraulic folding top actuator motor 44 pivotally mounted at 46 between the legs of bracket 24. Operation of motor 44 pivots the side rail 22 about pivot 36 and moves frame 20 longitudinally of body 10 between raised and lowered positions.

A fabric folding top cover 48 is suitably secured to frame 20 for movement as a unit therewith and as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, is further secured adjacent its rearward terminal edge to the deck 16 by a tacking strip 50.

Fabric 48 is provided in its rearmost portion 51 with a back window cutout 52, and a closure 54 of thin rigid glass is provided to close the cutout. Closure 54 is suitably sec-ured to a fabric liner arrangement 56 extending for close engagement with top fabric 48 from tacking strip 50 to the upper end of rear bow assembly 30 and adapted to selectively support closure 54 on fabric 48 for movement as a unit therewith or to provide independent lowering of the closure into the folding top well 60 of body 10. Reference may be had to Hallenbe'ck 3,096,117 for a de tailed description of this liner arrangement, but generally, it includes a pair of rearward liner panels at the two sides of the body carrying the side and lower edges of the closure, a forward liner panel secured to rear bow assembly 30, and a zipper 58 for releasably interconnecting the forward edge of the rearward panels and closure 54 to the forward panel.

Proceeding now with a description of rear bow assembly 30, this assembly includes a generally U-shaped rear bow member 62 suitably adapted in its upper or transverse portion to have fabric 48 and the upper edge of liner arrangement 56 secured thereto, a bellcrank 64 having one leg thereof pivotally connected at 63 to the lower end of a respective vertical leg of bow 62 and having the other leg thereof pivotally mounted at 65 on rear rail 22,

and a lower bow or support member 66 pivotally connected at one end thereof to bellcrank 64 and pivotally mounted at the other end thereof on an offset flange 68 of bracket 24, FIGURE 3. Bellcrank 64 and member 66 together provide supporting linkage for bow 62 and are adapted for coordinated movement in response to rotation of rear rail 22 to move the bow between the position shown in FIGURE 1, wherein it is located in a generally upright position tensioning fabric 48 and liner 56 into desired contour, and a lowered position shown in FIG- URE 2 wherein the bow is retracted within well 60.

Bellcrank 64 and member 66 further provide collapsible multiplying linkage operable to collapse the bow relative to rear rail 22 and to move the bow over a path of significantly greater extent than that of the rear rail so that when fully lowered, the bow assumes a position more forwardly of the body than does the rear rail to permit closure 54 to fall nearly vertically into well 60 with folding top 18. As can be seen upon examination of FIGURE 1, the spaced pivot axes of rear rail 22 and member 66 on bracket 24 cause bellcrank 64 to be rotated clockwise about its pivot connection 65 on the rear rail as the rear rail moves from raised to lowered position. Bow 62 is consequently moved bodily relative to the rear rail, and, in lowered position as shown in FIGURE 2, has translated relative to rear rail 22 in such a manner as to in effect pull fabric portion 51, liner 56 and closure 54 forwardly of the body while being lowered into well 60.

When folding top 18 is moved upwardly from lowered position, the pivotal movement of rear rail 22 transferred to bellcrank 64 is again reacted by member 66 so that the bellcrank undergoes a counterclockwise rotation bodily moving bow 62 relative to the rear rail until the parts reach the fully raised position of FIGURE 1.

It can be seen that the arrangement of rear bow assembly 30 provides a great benefit in permitting the use of a rigid glass closure which may be of maximum size without, however, affecting the desired contour of the top in raised position as influenced by the rear bow. Closure 54 falls easily into well 60 during downward movement of folding top 18, and movement of bow 62 between its two positions is in no way restricted by the inflexibility of the glass, this without the need for large lengths of fabric panel in fabric portion 51. It can further be seen that the folding top of this invention derives this benefit with great advantage not only over prior folding tops having the rear bow directly pivotally mounted on the rear rail so that the sweep of the bow is directly dependent on the rear rail, but also with great advantage over prior folding tops wherein simple twopiece bows are operably associated with the rear rail but have no multiplying means operable to bodily translate the upper section of the bows relative to the rear rail to provide for extended path of travel.

It will be understood that the possible configurations of the multiplying means provided in rear bow assembly 30 are not limited to that shown but may take any form which provides for response of the linkage to movement of rear rail 22 in a manner to bodily move rear bow 62 relative to the rear rail and over a path of multiplied extent permitting easy settling of closure 54 into well 60.

Thus a new and improved folding top is provided.

We claim:

1. In a convertible vehicle body, the combination comprising, a folding top frame mounted on said body for movement relative thereto between raised and lowered positions, a bow member adapted to be operatively as sociated with a portion of said frame for movement in unison therewith between raised and lowered positions, and means connecting said bow member with said frame portion and independently with said body to support said bow member thereon, said connecting means being operable in response to movement of said frame portion to move said bow member bodily relative thereto and over a path of multiplied extent relative to said body between raised and lowered positions over that of said frame portion.

2. In a convertible vehicle body, the combination comprising, a folding top frame mounted on said body for movement relative thereto between raised and lowered positions, a bow member adapted to be operatively associated with a portion of said frame for movement in unison therewith between raised and lowered positions, first connecting means connected between said bow memmer and said frame portion, and second connecting means movably mounted on said body and connected to said first connecting means, said first and said second connecting means together supporting said bow member and further providing multiplying means operable in response to movement of said frame portion to move said bow member bodily relative to said frame portion and over a path of multiplied extent relative to said body between raised and lowered positions over that of said frame portion.

3. In a convertible vehicle body, the combination comprising, a folding top frame mounted on said body for movement relative thereto between raised and lowered positions and including a side rail portion, a bow member adapted to be operatively associated with said side rail portion and movable in unison therewith between raised and lowered positions, a first connecting member connected between said how member and said side rail portion, and a second connecting member movably mounted adjacent one end thereof on said body and connected adjacent the other end thereof to said first connecting member, said first and second connecting members together supporting said bow member and further providing multiplying linkage operable in response to movement of said side rail portion to move said bow member bodily relative to said side rail portion and over a path of multiplied extent relative to said body between raised and lowered positions over that of said side rail portion.

4. In a convertible vehicle body, the combination comprising, a folding top frame mounted on said body for movement relative thereto between raised and lowered positions, a first bow member extending transversely of said body, a pair of second bow members each being swingably mounted adjacent one end thereof on said body adjacent a respective side thereof and adapted at the other end thereof to be connected to a respective end of said first bow member, and bow control means pivotally interconnecting said other ends of said second bow members to said respective ends of said first bow member to provide a unitary bow assembly and being further connected to a portion of said frame to operably associate said bow assembly with said frame portion for movement in unison therewith between raised and lowered positions, said bow control means being operable in response to movement of said frame portion to move said first bow member bodily relative to said frame portion and said second bow members and over a path of multiplied extent relative to said body between raised and lowered positions over that of said frame portion and said second bow members.

5. In a convertible vehicle body, the combination comprising, a folding top frame movable relative to said body between raised and lowered positions, said frame including a rear side rail portion pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on said body, a bow member adapted to be operatively associated with said side rail for movement in unison therewith between raised and lowered positions, a bellcrank pivotally connected at one end thereof to said side rail and connected at the other end thereof to one end of said bow member, a support lever pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on said body at a point spaced from the pivotal mounting of said side rail and pivotally connected adjacent the other end thereof to said bellcrank, movement of said 5 6 bellcrank with said side rail upon movement of said References Cited y the Examine! frame between raised and lowered positions being re- UNITED STATES PATENTS acted by said support lever to rotate said bellcrank about the pivotal connection thereof with said side rail and 2055889 9/1936 Ban 296-107 move said bow member bodily relative to said side rail 303014O 4/1962 Probst 296'107 and over a path of multiplied extent relative to said body between raised and lowered positions over that of BENJAMIN HERSH Primary Examiner said side rail. C. C. PARSONS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE BODY, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A FOLDING TOP FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID BODY FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS, A BOW MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A PORTION OF SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT IN UNISON THEREWITH BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID BOW MEMBER WITH SAID FRAME PORTION AND INDEPENDENTLY WITH SAID BODY TO SUPPORT SAID BOW MEMBER THEREON, SAID CONNECTING MEANS BEING OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAME PORTION TO MOVE SAID BOW MEMBER BODILY RELATIVE THERETO AND OVER A PATH OF MULTIPLIED EXTENT RELATIVE TO SAID BODY BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITIONS OVER THAT OF SAID FRAME PORTION. 